Nearly 31 years ago, on September 27, 1987, the first meeting of the Prudence Island Quilters Guild was called to order, with President Lucille Cassidy outlining the reasons for forming a quilter's guild on Prudence. In addition to providing a social outlet and a common creative interest for island residents, one of the group's goals was to promote quilting itself, "which, according to those who participate in the craft in all stages of expertise, is very rewarding. It is creative and relaxing, to the point of being therapeutic." The group determined that in addition to working on their own projects, they would come together on a project for charity — something that have done at least once a year, every year since. Current charities include the Good Neighbors Soup Kitchen, The Veterans Home and Lucy's Hearth, among others.

Current president Cindy Buckley says the group gets together once a month to work on their projects, most recently on the porch of her Prudence Island home. They are also constantly learning and sharing new techniques. "It's a great group of ladies," she said. "They are so talented, some even prefer to work by hand."

A couple of active members are in their 90's; several are in their 80's. Some learned the craft from their own mothers, while others are accomplished at other fabric arts, and added quilting to their repertoire.

Quilting is considered a traditional American Folk Art, but the history of quilts began long before Europeans settled in North America. Padded fabrics for clothing, bedding, and even armor have been widely used around the world for centuries. The word "quilt" itself comes from the Latin culcita, a stuffed sack.

When English and Dutch settled in the new world, quilting quickly became part of the fabric of America. The quilt as we know it was strictly utilitarian: a warm bedcover. Quilts were also used as hangings for doors and windows to keep out cold winter drafts. In fact, no record exists of the earliest American quilts, as they were so intimately connected to the everyday life of the early colonists that they were considered mundane.

Most early American women were so busy spinning, weaving and sewing clothes (among other domestic duties) they had no time to indulge the artistic elements of quilting. Furthermore, with money often scarce and imported textiles limited, women had to be creative by necessity, and use the materials they had on hand. When blankets became worn, they were patched, combined with other blankets, or used as filler between other blankets. But in later years, when fabrics were being manufactured in America and were more affordable, artistic quilting became more widespread.

Thousands of quilts were pieced and patched in the years before the Civil War, some so elaborate that years were spent making and quilting them. May of these have been preserved, cherished as heirlooms in homes and museums.

As the frontier was conquered, living conditions improved, quilts became less austere. New, finer fabrics found their way into traditional quilts. Women, especially women of means, had time to pursue quilting as an art form. During this time the Victorian crazy quilt, characterized by random patters and fabrics, became popular. By the beginning of the 20th Century, quilting was no longer a necessary chore, but a creative pursuit.

The World Wars saw a revival of quilting as a necessity, as all resources went to the war effort (and the Depression took care of the rest.) But then in the 1970s and 1980s, quilting enjoyed a revival of sorts as the granddaughters of the WWI generation brought back the art.

The current show at Rogers Free Library includes about 10 all new quilts for this year, as well as wall hangings, a quilted picture, and a framed work of embroidery. It's on display during usual Library hours, Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., through October.


Source: www.quilting-in-America.com